Bristol Rovers 2-2 Reading
(Rovers win 5-3 on penalties)
Jersey Mike’s Subs Trophy, The Memorial Stadium, Tuesday 10 November 2026
Bristol Rovers exited the Jersey Mike’s Subs Trophy with a spirited and entertaining 5-3 on penalties against Sky Bet League One side Reading, after a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes.
With both sides opting for younger sides, Reading took a two-goal advantage in BS7 after Sean Patton scored early in the contest before doubling their lead early in the second half through Jerae Jones.
But Rovers battled back through Arvin Appiah and Philip Sanyalou, taking the match to penalties, with the winning effort put in by 15-year-old Kazim Salahi-Ali on his professional debut.
With Bristol Rovers already unable to progress to the knock-out stages of the competition, manager Steve Evans gave first-team debuts to Academy prospects Excel Iwiwhu and Stan Dunne in a much-changed Pirates XI.
The visitors also rang the changes at The Memorial Stadium and got the lead inside three minutes, as striker Patton got in past Charlie Binns to put the Royals in front.
The Gas went on the hunt for a leveller and went close from Sparkes’ well-struck free-kick, which Jack Stevens tipped away, before the Reading shot-stopper also denied Kamwa’s downward header.
Binns was called into action again to deny Patton a second just after the half-hour mark, before Boyd Beacroft had an effort saved by the Rovers’ No32 from distance.
A tepid match seemed to be wrapped up by the Royals just five minutes following the restart. The away side countered quickly, having won the ball on the edge of their own penalty area, and Jones smashed in a brilliant strike from just inside the Rovers box.
The Gas found a way back into the match just eight minutes later when Ryan De Havilland found Appiah on the left-hand side, with the No28 cutting in to fire home a well-taken effort, halving the deficit.
On 65 minutes, Rovers levelled with an almost identical effort. This time Sanyaolu cut in from the left, beaten Stevens with a fantastic strike to pull the hosts back into the match.
Two Academy prospects were introduced for Rovers on 73 minutes for their competitive debuts. Jack Toogood was entered into the fray while winger Kazim Salahi-Ali became the Club’s second-youngest senior player ever when he replaced Sanyaolu on the pitch.
Level at the full-time whistle, Rovers involvement in the Jersey Mike’s Subs Trophy would conclude with a penalty shoot-out at The Mem.
Tommy Leigh put away the first spot-kick for the Gas, matched by Reading’s Patton. Jack Sparkes grabbed Rovers second, with Beacroft keeping things level. Ryan De Havilland and Tyler Sackey also both scored for their respective sides’ third penalties, and Reiss Russell-Denny added the fourth for the hosts.
However, Matteo Dashey saw his effort saved by Binns, meaning youngster Kazim Salahi-Ali got to score the winning spot-kick on his professional debut.
Bristol Rovers: Binns, Sparkes, Kamwa (Russell-Denny 63), Kelly, Smallwood (c) (Toogood 73), Southam-Hales, Sanyaolu (Salahi-Ali 73), Appiah (Forde 73), De Havilland, Dunne (Leigh 63), Iwhiwhu
Subs not used: Young (GK), Balmer
Goals: Appiah 58, Sanaolu 65
Reading: Stevens (c), Patton, Howard, Duah, Ahmed, Beacroft, Sackey, Osho, Jones, Cliff, Mfuamba
Subs not used: Rowley (GK), Barough, Harrison, St. Louis, Lonmeni, Dashi, Ntege
Goals: Patton 3, Jones 50
Referee: Oliver Mackey
Attendance: 1,215 (including 352 away)
